Produce wrapper with fastening slit



Dec. 18, 1962 w. Es` CRANE PRODUCE WRAPPER WITH F'ASTENING SLIT Filed Feb. 14, 1961 IN V EN TOR. Wm ran 6. Cea/v5 onze UnitedStates Patent Gilce 3,069,067 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,069,067 PRODUCE WRAPPER WITH FASTENIN G SLIT Walton B. Crane, South Pasadena, lCalif., assignor to Allied Plastics Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 14, 1961, Ser. No. 89,268 10 Claims. (Cl. 229-87) This invention deals generally with packaging of produce for retail sale and, particularly, with an improved wrapper for use in packaging produce in produce baskets.

Copending application Serial No. 809,391 tiled April 28, 1959, for Wrapper for Packaged Produce discloses -a produce packaging wrapper of thin, pliable plastic material which is slit in a unique way to afford the wrapper with the ability to mold itself closely about .the'produce being packaged. In use, the produce is placed in the center of the wrapper and the corners and sides of the wrapper are drawn up and over the produce, during which the wrapper stretches or expands to mold itself about the produce. The wrapper and produce therein are then placed in a produce basket in an inverted position to provide a ventilated produce package of unique and pleasing appearance.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved produce packaging wrapper Aof the character described having means to enable the wrapper to be quickly and easily retained in position about the produce being packaged until the produce packaging operation is completed by placement of the wrapper and produce therein in a produce basket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a produce packaging wrapper of the character described which is designed to effect a locking action for positively securing and retaining the wrapper in position about the packaged produce in the final produce package.

Other objects of the invention will become evident as the description proceeds.

Certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by reference to the attached drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the present wrapper;

FIG. 2 illustrates an initial step in packaging produce in the wrapper;

FIG. 3 illustrates the next packaging step;

FIG. 4 illustrates the finished pr-oduce package;

FIG. 5 is a section .through the produce package of FIG. 4; and p FIG. 6 shows an alternative form of the wrapper.

The produce packaging wrapper illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 of this drawing comprises a rectangular -sheet or iilrn 10 of thin, pliable material, such as transparent polyethylene plastic. This iilm is formed with a central slit area 12 bounded by a solid, unslit border or margin 14 which extends completely about the slit central area of the film.

Slit area 12 of lthe lm contains generally straight and parallel rows 16 of spaced slits 18 which extend approximately parallel to two opposite `side edges of the film. The slits 18 in alternate rows are approximately aligned in the crosswise direction of the rows, while the slits in adjacent rows are offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows. This slit arrangement affords the slit area with the ability to stretch or expand in the transverse direction of the rows of slits.

Along one side 0f the film, at one side of and approximately in line with the centers of the rows 16 of slits, is an opening 20 through the margin 14. This opening may be a long slit, as shown, or any other suitably shaped hole for the purpose explained below.

In use, a quantity of produce 22 to be packaged is placed on the center of the film and the sides 24 and 24 of the film which parallel the rows of slits 18 are drawn up and about the produce, as shown. central portion of the film to stretch and mold itself about the produce. The center of the side 24' of the film is then inserted through the margin opening 20 on the opposite side 24 of the film and the tongue 26 thus formed is pulled back and over the remaining corners and edge portions of the film, as shown.

A produce basket or container 28 is now placed in an inverted position over the wrapped produce, whereupon the latter and basket are inverted to provide the finished produce package 30 in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will -be observed that in this finished package, the slit area 12 of film 10 is stretched over and downwardly along the sides of the produce 22 and into the container 28 and the margin of film 10 is arranged between the bottom of the container and the packaged produce so as to be held in position by the weight of the produce. The iilm slits 18 are stretched to define relatively large ventilation openings, as shown.

A highly important feature of the invention resides in the fact that in the finished produce package, tongue 2,6 of the film 10 extends through the margin opening 20 and is then drawn back on itself and upwardly between a side wall of the container and the packaged produce, as-shown in FIG. 4. The tongue is frictionally held in position between the container wall and the packaged produce and acts to tightly lock the iilm against removal 4 from about the packaged produce until the produce is removed from the container.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified wrapper iilm 10 according to the invention. This modified film is like the earlier one except that the rows 16 of slits 18' and the margin opening or slit 20 extend parallel to a diagonal direction of the film and the margin slit 20' is located in one corner of the film. The lilm of FIG. 6, however, is used in the same way a-s the earlier wrapper lm 10.

Clearly, therefore, the invention is fully capable of attaining the objects and advantages preliminarily set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin film of pliable plastic material having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margain which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows, and

said margain having an opening at one side of said rows of slits.

2. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin iilm pliable, transparent plastic material having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margain which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in lalternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows, and

said margin having an opening at one side oaf said rows of slits.

3. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin film of pliable plastic material having a central" slit area bounded by a solid unslit margain which extends entirely about saidslit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

This causes the slit the slits in'alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows, and

said margain having a slit at one side of said rows of slits.

4. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin film of pliable plastic material having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margain which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction, ofthe rows, and

said margin having a slit at one side of and extending approximately parallel to said rows of slits.

5. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin film of pliable plastic material having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin which extends entirely about said slit area.

said slit area having generally straight and parailel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being ofset in the lengthwise direction of the rows, and

said margin having an opening at one side of and approximately centered between the ends of said rows of slits.

6. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin film of pliable plastic material having a central rectangular -slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rowsof spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows, and

said margin having an opening at one side of and approximately centered between the ends of said rows of slits.

7. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin rectangular lm of pliable plastic material having ya central rectangular slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin 'which extends entirely about said slit area,

the sides of said slit area extending diagonally of the film,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of slits extending diagonally of the slit area and approximately parallel to two opposite side edges of the film,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows,

said margin having a slit -between one of said opposite side edges of the film and one corner of said slit area, and

said margin slit extending approximately parallel to said one edge.

8. A packaging wrapper comprising:

a thin rectangular film of pliable plastic material having a central generally rectangular slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin which extends entirely about said slit area,

ythe sides of said slit area extending approximately parallel to the side edges of the film, respectively,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits extending diagonally of the film and of said slit area,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of said rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows,

two diagonally opposite corners of the film being disposed at opposite sides of said rows of slits, and

said margin having a slit at one of said corners of the film extending approximately parallel to said rows of slits.

9. A produce package comprising:

a quantity of produce,

a thin film 0f pliable plastic material enveloping said quantity of produce and having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows,

said margin having an opening at one side of said rows of slits, and

the slit area of said film overlying said produce and being stretched thereover and downwardly along the sides thereof with said slits stretched to define relatively large ventilation openings and with said margin arranged beneath said produce, and the marginal portion of the film across said slit area from said margin opening extending through the latter opening beneath said produce and then back on itself beneath said quantity of produce to retain said film in position relative to said quantity of produce.

l0. A produce package comprising:

an open topped container,

Ia quantity of produce filling said container and extending above the open top thereof,

a thin film of pliable plastic material enveloping said quantity of produce and having a central slit area bounded by a solid unslit margin which extends entirely about said slit area,

said slit area having generally straight and parallel rows of spaced slits,

the slits in alternate rows being approximately aligned in a transverse direction Iof the rows,

the slits in adjacent rows being offset in the lengthwise direction of the rows,

said margin having an opening at one side of said rows of slits,

the slit area of said film overlying said produce and being stretched thereover and downwardly along the sides thereof into said container with said slits stretched to define relatively large ventilation openings and with said margin arranged beneath said produce, and the marginal portion of the film across said slit area from said margin -opening extending through the latter opening beneath said quantity of' produce and then back on itself beneath the quantity of produce and upwardly between said produce and .the side wall of the container to retain said film in position relative to said quantity of produce.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Crane Sept. 17, 1957 Woodard Mar. 17, 1908 Sykes Feb. l, 1938 Bonini Mar. 29, 1949 

